Native Instruments has turned Nils Frahm's rare concert piano into a €149 virtual instrument called Vertikal. The real deal sits in Saal 3 at Berlin's Funkhaus, where a custom 4.5-meter piano has become part of the composer's studio setup. Most players would have no shot at using it in person.
Galaxy Instruments handled the digital version. That team also made Claire, Una Corda, and Noire. Its samples aim to keep the piano's long notes, rich harmonics, and wide range of soft and loud sounds. Strings as long as 3.9 meters play a big part in that sound.
And the room matters here. Frahm made the old chamber hall his studio in 2016, and much of his work has come from that space. Vertikal takes some of the hall's natural sound along for the ride rather than just giving users a dry piano.
Players get three ways to use the sampled keys. Pure keeps the tone clear, felt makes it soft, and felt with cotton gives it a more muted edge. Each setup offers a new way to play the same rare instrument.
Then there's Particles 2.0, which takes the note cloud idea from Noire a fair bit further. It can turn piano notes into new patterns and layers of sound. Users can play its sources by hand or use Rhythm Mode to make patterns that stay the same each time.
The engine also brings more pitched sounds, drum-like elements, and textures. Each particle and cloud has its shape controls, while pan and tone can be set apart. A four-slot effects section adds more ways to change the result.
Motion controls add LFOs, mod wheel input, and polyphonic aftertouch. That lets players shape the sound as they perform, not just set it and leave it. NKS support also gives users hands-on access through gear that works with the format.
Frahm sees the release as a way to let more musicians use a piano that had been tied to one room. The project grew from a team effort, and he wanted that work to reach a wider group of players.
Vertikal works with Kontakt 8.13.1 or later, even through the free Player. It supports Windows 10 and newer, macOS 14 and later, and VST3, AU, and AAX hosts.
Galaxy Instruments handled the digital version. That team also made Claire, Una Corda, and Noire. Its samples aim to keep the piano's long notes, rich harmonics, and wide range of soft and loud sounds. Strings as long as 3.9 meters play a big part in that sound.
And the room matters here. Frahm made the old chamber hall his studio in 2016, and much of his work has come from that space. Vertikal takes some of the hall's natural sound along for the ride rather than just giving users a dry piano.
Players get three ways to use the sampled keys. Pure keeps the tone clear, felt makes it soft, and felt with cotton gives it a more muted edge. Each setup offers a new way to play the same rare instrument.
Then there's Particles 2.0, which takes the note cloud idea from Noire a fair bit further. It can turn piano notes into new patterns and layers of sound. Users can play its sources by hand or use Rhythm Mode to make patterns that stay the same each time.
The engine also brings more pitched sounds, drum-like elements, and textures. Each particle and cloud has its shape controls, while pan and tone can be set apart. A four-slot effects section adds more ways to change the result.
Motion controls add LFOs, mod wheel input, and polyphonic aftertouch. That lets players shape the sound as they perform, not just set it and leave it. NKS support also gives users hands-on access through gear that works with the format.
Frahm sees the release as a way to let more musicians use a piano that had been tied to one room. The project grew from a team effort, and he wanted that work to reach a wider group of players.
Vertikal works with Kontakt 8.13.1 or later, even through the free Player. It supports Windows 10 and newer, macOS 14 and later, and VST3, AU, and AAX hosts.
